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Melisende (1105 - c. 1160) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153.

Melisende was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and the Armenian princess Morphia of Melitene. Jerusalem had recently been conquered by Christian Franks in 1099 during the First Crusade, and was ruled by a dynasty from the County of Boulogne in France. Melisende was the heir of this dynasty.

Inheritance

Melisende was designated as the successor of her father before 1128. Few women inherited a throne in their own right; Melisende's contemparies included Empress Maud and Eleanor of Aquitaine. During her father's reign Melisende was styled filia regis et regni Jerosolimitani haeres and took precedence above other nobles and Christian clergy in ceremonial occasions. Increasingly she was associated with her father on official documents, including in the minting of money, granting of fiefdoms and other forms of patronage, and in diplomatic correspondance. Baldwin raised his daughter as a capable successor to himself and Melisende enjoyed the suport of the Haute Cour, a kind of royal council comprising the nobility and clergy of the realm.

However, Baldwin also recognized that he would have to marry Melisende to a powerful ally, one who would protect and safeguard Melisende's inheritance as Queen and her future heirs. His intention was for a consort for his daughter. Baldwin chose Fulk V of Anjou, a renowned crusader and military commander, and the paternal grandfather of Henry Plantagent (Fulk's son Geoffrey was married to Empress Maud, Henry I of England's designated heir as England's next Queen Regnant). Throughout the negotiations Fulk insisted on being joint ruler with Melisende. Baldwin aquiesced to these demands as Fulk was relatively rich and would bring much military expierence with him in defense of Jerusalem. Melisende and Fulk soon had a son and heir in 1130, the future Baldwin III. As an indication of Baldwin II's intentions to make Melisende sole queen and to strengthen her position, he designated Melisende as guardian for the future Baldwin III, excluding Fulk altogether.

After Baldwin II's death in 1131, Melisende and Fulk ascended to the throne as joint rulers. However, with the aid of his crusader knights Fulk excluded Melisende from granting titles and other forms of patronage, and publicly dismissed her authority. This treatment of their Queen irritated the members of the Haute Cour, whose own positions would be eroded if Fulk countinued to dominate the realm.

Palace intrigue

The estrangement between husband and wife was a convenient political tool that Fulk used when he accused Hugh II of Le Puiset, Count of Jaffa, of having an affair with Melisende. Hugh was the most powerful baron in the kingdom, and was devotedly loyal to the memory of Baldwin II and now to Baldwin's daughter and his own cousin Melisende. According to strict salic law, Hugh could himself become king as a blood relative of the royal family, had Baldwin II not designated Melisende. Contemporary sources, such as William of Tyre, discount the infidelity of Melisende and instead point out that Fulk favoured newly arrived Frankish crusaders over the native nobility of the kingdom. Had Melisende been guilty the church and nobility would not later have rallied to her cause.

In desperation Hugh allied himself with the Muslim city of Ascalon, but was soon defeated by Fulk's military prowess. The Patriarch negotiated lenient terms for peace, and the rebels were exiled for three years. However, an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Hugh was attributed to Fulk or his suporters, and this breech of the peace was excuse enough for Melisende's suporters to openly challenge Fulk. Through what amounted to a palace coup, the queen's supporters overcame Fulk, and from 1136 onwards Fulk's influence rapidly deteriorated. One historian wrote that Fulk's suporters "went in terror of their lives." William of Tyre wrote that Fulk "did not attempt to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without (Melisende's) knowledge". However, by 1138 Melisende reconciled with Fulk and a second son, Amalric, was born.

Melisende's victory was complete. Again she is seen in the historical record granting titles of nobility, fiefdoms, appointments and offices, granting royal favours and pardons and holding court. Of Melisende, William of Tyre wrote "reseditque reginam regni potestas penes dominam Melisendem, Deo amabilem reginam, cui jure hereditario competebate." Melisende was no mere regent-queen for her son Baldwin III, but a Queen Regnant, reigning by right of law and as first born of her father.

Melisende's reign

In the years afterwards she became known as a great patron of the arts and founded a large abbey at Bethany. She and Fulk commissioned the Melisende Psalter, the greatest example of the tradition of manuscript illumination in the kingdom. She gave political support to her sister Alice in a regency question in Antioch, and was present at her sister Hodierna's marriage to Count Raymond II of Tripoli in 1137. Fulk died in a hunting accident in 1143. When Balwin III came of age, she had him crowed as her successor in the same manner as her father had designated her has heir, with a coronation ceremony.

Baldwin III comes of age

Melisende proved reluctant to let go of power. She worked to keep her son out of positions of influence, and largely ignored the date of his majority in 1145. Baldwin desired a second coronation, but the request was denied by his mother, which triggered a full-blown rift in 1152. Complaining to the Haute Cour that his mother would not let him rule, Baldwin demanded that the realm be divided between mother and son. In the subsequent agreement between them, Melisende ruled Judea and Samaria, the richest of the provances, and Baldwin the north. This arrangement, however, proved unstable. Melisende, recognizing the weakened position of the kingdom, yielded her territories to Baldwin III. Despite the initial rift and perhaps surprisingly, the two became close afterwards. Melisende maintained much influence in government and was Baldwin's closest advisor, and even as his regent in his absence. Melisende also retained ecclesiastical patronage over the church in the Kingdom of Jerusalem till her death at the convent of Bethany in 1160 or 1161.

Retirement

William of Tyre, noting Melisande's 30 year reign, wrote "she was a very wise woman, fully expierenced in almost all affairs of state buisness, who comepleatly triumphed over the handycap of her sex so she could take charge of important affairs..." and " striving to emulate the glory of the best princes, (Melisende) ruled the kingdom with such ability that she was rightly considered to have equaled her predecessors in that reguard."

Sources

• Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker, Ecclesiatical Hostory Society, 1978

• Kings of Jerusalem